38 Rathdrum Power Operations Center, Rathdrum, Idaho, November 20, 1745 Hrs (November 21, 0045Z)

Rathdrum Power Operations Center, Rathdrum, Idaho, November 20, 1745 Hrs (November 21, 0045Z)

Michael Othic processed the audible alert before he processed the visual alert. The monitoring system was showing a shorted line up in Athol. Probably a tree branch had come down and shorted the lines. As he picked up the phone to call one of the line techs that was in that area, the alert disappeared. It was most likely a tree branch, he decided... Or a squirrel. Squirrels had a bad habit of reaching up to the top of a transformer and zap toasted squirrel. He made a note of it in the log, and went back to reading the book that he was reading.